All That Glitters
by 0llie-Unknown
Summary: On a whim, a young woman moves to a quaint seaside town, filled with a collection of friendly animal neighbours. It doesn't take long for her to become comfortable in the calming atmosphere of her new home. That is until her blissful reality shatters as several brutal murders take place right next door. Rhythmic oceans waves become like the unending beat of a march towards death.
1. Prologue

**This is going to be my first murder mystery and I'm super excited!  
Please stay tuned for more chapters ahead!**

 **~Ebonyfire**

Prologue

The day was warm but not harsh, the sunlight gently pouring through the train cab's windows. The sky outside of the glass was a pastel azure, and gently, white cotton clouds drifted aloft in the air, scattered among the ocean of blue. Below, a cliff ended to show a view of a valley resting in the crook of the mountains, a clear river, like a flowing ribbon, stretched across the forests and open meadows Small clusters of houses, barely seen from the high above, passing slowly as the train sped by.

The train hummed and vibrated rhythmically as in raced down the cliff tracks, the slight movement just managing to shake a folded piece of paper right off a wooden table sitting between two bench-like seats. Just as it drifted to the floor, a paw, or perhaps paw- _hand_ , swooped down, catching it midair. Sitting on the red plush seat, a young lady with long, platinum hair, loosely drawn back into a low hanging ponytail, looked away from the window to witness the paper catching savior.

"Howdy," chuckled a blue-grey and white tom, his crimson eyes glinting with amusement and curiosity, "Almost lost this."

"Oh," she said absentmindedly, before realization snapped back, "Oh yes, um, thank you!"

He smiled at her charmingly before sliding it over to her, watching her pick it up with her slender fingers before slipping into a folder.

"May I have a seat?" the tom gestured at the opposite bench in the booth after a short hesitation, to which the girl nodded after realizing what he had said.

The cat politely dipped his head before taking a seat, looking down at the many papers strewn across the table.

"So, if you don't mind my asking, where 're you heading on such a fine day?" The white haired girl smiled and slipped out the previously fallen piece of paper from the folder, unfolding it to reveal a map with a red circle over a seaside town.

"I'm heading here," she pointed, "To a small town called _MiaouRonronner_ , or as I heard the locals call it, _Miaou_ ," her stormy grey eyes glimmered with anticipation and she pushed a pair of thick framed glasses back up the ridge of her nose, "It has a great location; cliffside town with paths down to a sandy beach and beautiful forests; it isn't even a tourist town! The housing prices are a little over budget, but waaay low for a place this beautiful. Or at least it _looks_ beautiful from the photos I've seen."

The tomcat smiled at her enthusiasm and stared down at the tiny town, depicted as wedged between two jagged cliffsides on a lower plateau. Now that he thought about it, it did sound pretty nice.

"Moving huh?" he began as she folded the paper back up and put it away, "You look so young to be living out in the world alone."

She swept a lock of ivory hair from her face and smiled bashfully, "Well, I am 18, but I've already finished a couple years of college, being a few grades ahead. I couldn't wait to find a place where I could live and maybe start a business," she bit her lip, "but I am a bit nervous."

"Well," he chortled, "quite the story on you, huh?"

"Oh! Sorry, I don't mean to babble," she gave a weary laugh, "I haven't really spoken anyone for the past few hours."

"No no! No trouble at all! I love stories!" the tom looked at her with amusement before straitening his plaid vest, the crimson of it matching his eyes, "I'm Rover, by the way."

"Gigi."

"A lovely name," he said thoughtfully, as though trying to recall a memory, "Have you already found a house there?"

"No," Gigi shook her head, her large, black glasses sliding down her nose once again, "I know of a branch of a house building service is located on Main Street, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem getting a house. Not to mention that at the museum they've converted the upper floor showcase rooms into one room apartments, so it isn't like I'll sleep in a tent before the house is finished."

"Kind of risky, isn't it?" Rover's eyes wandered to the window and passing scenery, "But I guess that's the fun of the journey, huh? The _risks_."

Gigi took out the map once more before looking out the window herself. With a sudden lurch, the train began to slow down considerably before coming to a halt.

"Welp, this is my spot," he sat up, sliding out of the booth before grabbing his luggage from a shelf over the opposite windows.

"Where 're you heading?" Gigi asked politely as he picked up some of his things from the booth he originally was sitting at.

"Nowhere in particular," Rover replied, "I decided that I wanted to travel again recently, so I point to a place on a map and go there," he grunted as he heaved all his suitcases into his arms, "Now that I think of it, I haven't done any travel since around 2002..."

The train let out a deafening whistle before a voice echoed from the intercom.

 _"Last leaving to Townsville! Last leaving to Townsville!"_ a male voice repeated.

"That's my cue," the blue-grey tom chuckled, hobbling towards the door.

"Goodbye Rover, safe travels!"

"See ya," he replied with a smile, "I'll come visit this ' _MiaouRonronner'_ some time, okay?"

He gave a laugh, and before the young lady could reply, disappeared out the door.


	2. Chapter 1- Shadows

**The first was just an introduction chapter, but now things are just a _little_ more tense.  
Please R&R!**

 **~Ebonyfire**

Chapter 1  
Shadows

It wasn't long after the train began to speed along on schedule once more. More wondrous views danced past the windows as the train thundered along the tracks, making a few stops here and there. And even though it was only the early afternoon, Gigi began to slip into a light doze as the soft, warm sunlight fell over her and the drone of the train melted into the background. As she slept, her mind wandered from ocean views and the image of a snug cottage to the sight of a blue-grey tom stepping off a train.

A woman's voice brought her back from sleep as she clattered noisily into the train car, calling out the words " _Sweets Cart!"_

The pale haired girl sat up in her seat, smoothing down the wrinkles in her cherry tank with her hands and blinking the sleep from her eyes. As the owner of the voice and the sweets cart, an elderly brown mare with green eyes, passed by her booth, the girl stopped her with her hand to purchase something from the cart.

"Would you have, perhaps," Gigi began slowly, "Something called a _Cauldron Cake_ or perhaps _Chocolate Frogs_?" She almost laughed at her own remark.

"A what now and what now, dear?" the mare rubbed her ear but the human girl just shook her head.

"Nevermind- I'll just have the fruit tart."

Soon, another half an hour had passed since she handed the old horse some bells and greedily consumed the treat, and once more she began to feel drowsy from hours of travel. Gigi glanced around the train cab to see if there was anyone to talk too, but it appeared that the monkey girl that had boarded a few stops ago had either switched cars or gotten off. The girl rested her head against the side of the seat and closed her eyes, letting the world grow dimmer and dimmer...

Wait a second, everything's gotten a little too dark a little too fast.

The young lady opened her grey eyes to reveal that the entire cab was shrouded in a pitch black darkness.

Gigi's heart fluttered with confusion and panic before realizing that the train had begun a slight decent and had entered a tunnel. She shifted uncomfortably in the shadowy room as she waited for the lights to turn on.

But they didn't.

Soon she began to let anxiety take hold and called out to see if anyone was in the room with her.

 _Oh come on,_ a voice in her head taunted her, _You're fine, you're on a perfectly safe train. Don't be a wuss, it's not like the dark can hurt you._

"R-right," she replied to herself, "Calm down Gigi- _calm down_."

Quietly she screwed her eyes shut and focused on her breathing, and after a couple of minutes managed to lower her heart rate considerably.

 _See,_ the voice spoke once more, _It isn't so bad, now is it?_

Gigi relaxed, perhaps she could sleep easier in the dark. And besides, the tunnel couldn't go on for that long, right? So she sunk down in her seat, trying to focus on sleep instead of being hurdled through a thin tunnel under thousands of tons of stone in complete and utter darkness.

And then the door opened.

At first, she shot straight up, wondering if she had really heard it open, that another person was traveling the cars. Then she felt relief- there was no way she imagined it, someone had come to her cab; perhaps even to fix the lights.

"Hello?" she spoke out into the dark, expecting a reply- yet one didn't come.

"Um," Gigi began to feel rather nervous, the relief beginning to lessen, " _Hello?_ Who's there?"

Suddenly there was a slight clatter: something had fallen. Gigi froze, praying for someone to reply 'Oh it's just me, I've come to repair the lights' or something similar, or _anything_ at all.

But it didn't come.

Now the anxiety had returned, someone _(or someTHING, her mind cruelly suggested)_ was definitely in the train car, and even though they had announced their presence in a way, the did not do it intentionally.

"Whoever's there, declare yourself!" her voice was cracking slightly with panic and fear, now far gone from reason.

And through the darkness, Gigi swore she could make out the outline of a figure, blotchy and formless. It seemed to creep closer malevolently with every moment. Her heart pounded until the sound of it filled her ears, her hands shaking and sweaty as it approached her.

Closer... and closer... until...

Light flooded the train car as it exited the tunnel, and Gigi squealed with terror before shielding her eyes. As soon as she realized what happened, she lifted up her hand to stare out into the train car.

It was completely empty.

Even as she stood up, she could see that there was no one. No fallen object, no intruder, nothing at all.

 _You're such a baby,_ her mind cackled, _afraid of_ shadows.

"No," she growled, "I _know_ something was in here," she looked into the window at her reflection, her expression was of dismay and fear.

"Right?"


End file.
